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PROBLEM!! New polished rims milky after cleaning
Guys, some help please.
Just had the hoops on wheels polished. My wrencher was cleaning them and they got a milky look. I had polished before and never had this issue Suggestions? ASAP We had them completely powder coated 6 months ago then chose to have them different so first had them remove all powder coat, followed by hoops being polished. In case that means anything :confused: Fred z |
Hoops..?.... :confused:
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Rims.
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Aluminum?
"My wrencher was cleaning them and they got a milky look. " How cleaning? Soap and water? or do you mean polishing-with metal polish?? Can't help you tell you get explicit. |
Fred Z,
I may have misinterpreted your question, but here goes. Raw aluminum oxidizes very fast. If you removed the coating from your wheels and then polished them, it was only a matter of time before they began to oxidize. The only way to keep them looking freshly polished is to put some sort of clear coating on them within minutes of the time they are polished. |
Use no cleaner containing ammonia such as windex. To maintain the polish on my Peterbilt I use white diamond polish. A light hand buffing keeps them looking good. Tom
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Make sure you don't wash them with Simple Green. That can do it too. I use "the Bomb" to polish my billet wheels on hot rod and bike. It is a weekly process. To run aluminum/billet you should ideally be slow witted and enjoy repetative tasks. Having been a former Government employee I excelled in these areas but it ain't for everyone.
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Seriously, get rid of the bare aluminum. Put the powder coat back on or get them chromed. |
I had polished rims on my sportsbike years ago. The only way to keep them looking good is with a metal polish weekly or after driving in the wet.
It is a good look just needs a little more work to stay perfect. |
Been polishing aluminum for near 40 yrs,it's all about knowing how to do it and having the right tools.Once you achieve the finish you need use a good polishing cream once in the spring and just before storage.Have found over the years that just before storage polishing is not really required.The cream I prefer because of it's ease of use is AutoSol.
If the luster goes away for my required finish 600 grit paper works for me.Some need a finer finish all the way to buffing with rouge. Some prefer a finish,I do not.Once the finish is comprimised then it is a chore to get it all off and have to start all over.We all march to a different beat. |
Sounds like whatever he was using to clean them with, caused the aluminum to react. Hopefully it didn't etch the aluminum, or you may spend "a lot" of time getting the shine back. When you do, I would clear coat them as suggested previously, ASAP..
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I know exactly how to make your shiny aluminum rims get that milky finish, and it only takes 15-20 seconds (per wheel) to do it. I have a couple cars with different types of wheels and have a couple different types of wheel cleaner in the garage. I was cleaning the wheels on my SPF a couple weeks ago and mistakenly grabbed some Meguiars Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner for my aluminum knock-offs.
Took that shine off in no time at all. I used some 000 steel wool to get the better part of the milky look off of the wheels and then some aluminum polish to shine them up again. They will never be as shiny as original, but as luck would have it, I like the slightly dulled finish better than the bright shine of highly polished aluminum. Of course wheel polishing has now taken on a whole new meaning - and a lot more time. |
Rare Iron I will check out the WAB Grey Matter. Almost time for the snowbirds to head to Florida and get the truck polished at Wildwood Florida. Tom
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http://www.meguiars.com/content/glob...ct/2797_lg.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg |
Hi FredZ
I am going with Chucks1 on this, my money is on the idea that the 'wrencher' used a product like hot wheels chrome wheel cleaner. This product contains phosphoric acid 10-15% by weight. Phosphoric acid anodises aluminium. We came across this issue a while back, a customer bought said product and cleaned his Harley Davidson primary drive cover which was highly polished ally. It looked fantastic for a few minutes but soon dulled and went milky. After riding it the addition of heat made it go a faint gold bronze colour. This would polish out but the process would repeat itself. It is possible to de-anodise the metal using a drain cleaner and water solution, a google search will bring up some vids showing how it's done. Good luck. |
This is after the fact Fred, but the best thing to clean your wheels with is 50-50 alcohol and water. Spray on, wipe off. Doesn't touch the shine. As far as your milky wheels go, if you washed them off well immediately you may get away with a serious polishing effort. Otherwise you may have to hit them with a wheel again.
Frank |
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